Hot Topics:

Cheese Importers a delightful weekend afternoon destination

Cheese is love

By Liz Moskow Camera Dining Critic

Posted:
07/13/2012 03:43:08 PM MDT

Updated:
07/13/2012 03:44:04 PM MDT

A French ham and gruyere sandwich on a baguette served with a peach salad with blue cheese and caramelized walnuts over mixed greens. Chocolate Oblivion, a flowerless chocolate cake, is served for dessert. A mango Italian soda is on the side at Cheese Importers.
(
LEWIS GEYER
)

As Romeo said of Juliet, I will say of cheese: it is my sun! So much so that I can envision myself getting married inside the cheese cooler at Cheese Importers in Longmont. It would have to be on a weekend though because that's when Cheese Importers provides a generous selection of free cheese samples. Frolicking inside the room sized cooler, guests could cobble together their own cheese course while waiting for the nuptials to commence. If they were so inclined, they could nibble on some bites from the bountiful olive bar ($9.99 per pound). They'd find the usual suspects of kalamata olives, roasted red peppers and other antipasti delights, but I'd encourage them to try the Greek glazed roasted figs, the cippolini onions in balsamic and not to miss the creamy castelvetrano olives.

A reception would ensue at the kitschy, faux-Parisian-themed cafe inside the store.

Advertisement

I'd be perched upon one of the velvet upholstered princess chairs presiding over the affair, while pressed grilled cheese sandwiches with taleggio, gruyere and fontina were passed around the room. Guests would be seated at the mismatched, lavender adorned bistro tables enjoying quiche, fine cheese and selections of charcuterie from the vast treasure trove of salami, speck and other dried and cured meats available. Ornate silver platters with lace doilies, garnished with grape clusters would offer up armagnac soaked chocolate covered cherries and chocolate truffle stuffed figs. My new husband and I could even cut into graduated wheels of cheese, stacked to look like a wedding cake. Guests might fulfill my gift registry buying the Provincial themed crockery, French cookware, and other assorted housewares offered for sale in the shop. It'd be a dreamy and convenient affair to remember.

But you don't have to be invited to my imaginary wedding to check out Cheese Importers for yourself. You will however have to wait until after July 23rd, as Cheese Importers is moving to a new location after 27 years in the same spot. Owner Samm White has promised that even though the new store will be bigger, Cheese Importers will have the same quaint and fun feel it always has. I encourage you to call ahead to see if the new cafe is open for full service before you go as July 23 was only the target date and I wouldn't want you to be disappointed. In addition to the selections I sampled for this review, the new and improved Cheese Importers has promised an expanded menu, wines by the glass, themed cheese plates, and will be installing a double sided French pizza oven.

We greedily sipped rose-scented pink lemonade and iced tea. Refills were poured at the table as we enjoyed our inside picnic, a respite from the intense heat of the day. We chose the pressed grilled cheese. French butter added an extra touch to the splendidly crisped and melty sandwich. I chose the chunky garden gazpacho in lieu of French onion soup or minestrone. Flecks of lively parsley gave the gazpacho an added freshness. Swirls of olive oil, chunks of avocado, cucumber, tomato and jalapeno comprised the perfect soup accompaniment to the sandwich.

Crunchy toasted ciabatta with dry salami, oozy fresh mozzarella, and baby arugula came with a generous spread of Dijon mustard. My companion enjoyed this so much she was humming between bites. We also chose to share a beautifully adorned field green salad, topped with golden raisins, bleu cheese, candied walnuts and sliced peaches. While this salad looked gorgeous, the balsamic dressing was unbalanced and the peaches unripe. This didn't seem to bother me or my companion one bit though as we used it as a justification to order dessert.

While they don't make all of the desserts at the cafe, they do have a discriminating eye for what they bring in to sell.

We chose a blueberry and almond tarte from Bluepoint Bakery. The Frenchy frangipane tarte sealed our lunch with all the richness and joy that almond paste has to offer.

I left the cheese foraging for after our meal, when my intense hunger for it was momentarily sated. I did however end up leaving with a bagful for later indulgence. Cheese Importers, aside from being my perfect wedding venue, is a great place to go and spend a weekend afternoon. Enamour yourself with cheese, court some charcuterie of your own and let yourself be romanced by my favorite food at Cheese Importers, a shining example of cheese-mongering right here in Boulder County.

Dye pours in 19 for TrojansSmothering. Confounding. And just a tad frustrating ... at least for the opposition.
Longmont's defense, whether they are playing a 1-3-1 zone, 2-3 zone or man-to-man -- and it can switch from possession to possession -- can give teams fits. Full Story

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story